Modern Christmas trees trace their origins to renaissance Germany. Some attribute the beginning to Martin Luther. In addition to his Ninety-Five Theses, which disputed the efficacy of Indulgences – a big money raiser for the church – he’s also credited with placing lit candles on an evergreen tree. There’s no doubt he authored the Theses and initiated the reformation. However, the earliest depiction of a modern Christmas tree dates to 1576. Martin Luther met his maker in 1546. He may be the inspiration for our Christmas tree tradition, but there’s no way to prove it.
What we do know is that during the second half of the 1800s the tradition spread beyond Lutheran Germany. Initially trees were decorated with flowers, tinsel, and treats. The treats included fruits, cookies, and other sweets. Lit candles were also used, but eventually replaced by safer electric lights. Over time new ornaments including garland, shiny balls, and ceramic figurines depicting almost anything you can imagine became staples.
Favorite Decoration
Candy canes first appear in literature in the mid-1860s. Legend has it that they were designed to look like the crooks of the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus. Whether true or not it didn’t take long for people to use the built-in ‘hook’ to place the treats on Christmas trees. Early candy canes were bent by hand. This labor-intensive process was costly and inefficient. As many as 20% of canes broke while being bent. The invention of a machine to bend the candy canes in the early 20th century simplified the process.
Artificial Trees
Germany was also the home of the first artificial Christmas tree. Driven by concerns over deforestation, the first artificial trees were made with dyed goose feathers. Innovation moved to the US where trees made from brush bristles debuted in 1930 and aluminum in 1958. Now most artificial trees are made from recycled packaging material. Oddly enough, the process to make them renders most plastic artificial trees non-recyclable. Other materials include cardboard, glass, optical fibers, and even holographic trees. By the early 21st century nearly 60% of US Christmas trees and two thirds of UK trees were artificial.
Back to Nature
My family had natural trees until I was seven. That’s when my grandparents moved out west and gave us their artificial tree. It consisted of a pole where you attached heavy gauge wire branches with brush-bristle needles. We enjoyed assembling that tree. With enough lights, garland, and decorations it looked pretty good. My wife grew up in a more rural setting and never had an artificial tree. They typically bought one from a local lot and they also cut one from the woods surrounding their farm.
That brings us to our featured map courtesy of WCED in DuBois, PA. In addition to showing how much people pay for fresh cut trees, the map also highlights the top Christmas tree growing states.
My Traditions
After we bought our first home, we’ve always had a natural Christmas tree. A few times we’ve purchased pre-cut trees from the Boy Scouts, but we prefer to select and cut our own tree. Living in upstate NY, the weather in early December can be a challenge. We’ve traipsed through a foot of snow in bitter cold winds, trudged through mud, and even enjoyed a few coatless tree hunts. Regardless, the search for the perfect tree has become a family tradition. What are your Christmas tree traditions?
As always thanks for reading.
Armen
Note to Pay the Bills: Christmas trees aren’t explicity mentioned in the Misaligned series, but Book #1, Penny Preston and the Raven’s Talisman has it’s climax on the winter solstice. If you’ve ever wondered how to mix theoretical physics and Welsh mythology in a YA fantasty story, you can learn more here or find links to purchase books here.
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